Quality control for packaging

1. Packaging

2. Quality control tests for glasses
1. Chemical resistant of glass containers
a. Powdered glass test:
It is done to estimate the amount of alkali leached from the
powdered glass which usually happens at the elevated
temperatures. When the glass is powdered, leaching of alkali is
enhanced, which can be titrated with 0.02N Sulphuric acid using
methyl red as an indicator

5. b. Water attack test:
This is only for treated soda lime glass containers.
Principle involved is whether the alkali leached or not
from the surface of the container.

6. Procedure:
➢ Rinse thoroughly with high purity water.
➢ Fill each container to 90% of its overflow capacity
with water and is autoclaved at 121⁰C for 30 min
then it is cooled
➢ The collected water is titrated with 0.02N Sulphuric
acid using methyl red as an indicator.
➢ The volume of sulfuric acid consumed is the measure
of the amount of alkaline oxides present in the glass
containers.

9. 3. Thermal shock test:
➢ Place the samples in upright position in a tray.
➢ Immerse the tray into a hot water for a given time and
transfers to cold water bath, temperature of both are closely
controlled.
➢ Examine cracks or breaks before and after the test.
➢ The amount of thermal shock a bottle can withstand depends on
its size and design. Small bottles withstand a temp differential of
60 to 80⁰C and large bottle 30 to 40⁰C. A typical test uses 45⁰C
temperature difference between hot and cold water.

10. 4. Leakage test:
➢ Fill 10 containers with water, fit with intended
closures and keep them inverted at room temperature
for 24h.
➢ The test is said to be passed if there is no signs of
leakage from any container.

11. 5. Internal bursting pressure test
➢ The most common instrument used is American glass
research increment pressure tester.
➢ The test bottle is filled with water and placed inside the
test chamber.
➢ A scaling head is applied and the internal pressure of the
chamber is automatically raised by a series of increments
each of which is held for a set of time. The bottle can be
checked to a preselected pressure level and the test
continues until the container finally bursts.

12. Test for plastics containers
a. Collapsibility test:
Applicable to containers which are to be squeezed in
order to remove contents. The container should yield
90% of its contents at required rate of flow at ambient
temperature.

13. b. Clarity of aqueous extract:

14. c. Transparency
➢ Fill the container to its nominal capacity with a 1 in 200
dilution of the standard suspension for a container made
from polyethylene or polypropylene. For containers of
other materials, use a 1 in 400 dilution.
➢ The cloudiness of the suspension is perceptible when
viewed through the container and compared with a
similar container filled with water.

15. d. Water vapor permeability
➢ Fill 5 containers with nominal volume of water
and heat seal the bottles with aluminum foil.
➢ Weigh accurately each container and allow to
stand for 14 days at humidity of 60±5% ,
temperature, 20⁰C and 25⁰C.
➢ Reweigh the containers.
➢ Loss in weight in each container is not more than
0.2%